Martin County tennis coach Walter Scherer, 86 years young, still playing, chasing Don Shula
Walter Scherer prefers to downplay his age. The legendary girls head tennis coach at Martin County for the past 29 years is going strong.
Earlier this week, Scherer was driving off to Boca Raton for a USTA 85-and-over tournament at the Swim and Racquet Club. He’s ranked 10th in the nation in the 85s in singles and third in doubles.
Scherer is 86. And counting.
“I don’t want the school board to know I’m that old," Scherer said, laughing. “They’ll put me into mothballs."
Not a chance. Scherer’s career coaching record at Martin County is 339-107. Six times the team has advanced to the state final four. Martin County has won seven district titles in his reign. Despite losing all its starters from last season’s district title team, Martin County is off to a 5-0 start.
“I think playing USTA tournaments and working with kids keeps me young at heart," Scherer said.
Scherer has played tennis since age 12, growing up in a frigid small town in Illinois.
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His two daughters, Carolyn and Elizabeth, played for Martin County and went on to be college student-athletes. Carolyn went to Harvard where she switched to crew while Elizabeth played tennis at West Point. Carolyn is a diplomat for the State Department and lives in Taiwan where his grandson is a top pitcher in the reputed Taiwanese Little League.
While most his age who are still active defected to the easier game of pickleball, Scherer won’t even pick up the small racket. He feels he’s too fit, trim and tan.
“I’m not a pickleball fan," Scherer said. “I’m in pretty good shape. I can run really well. I can get to the ball. I’m very quick on the court. I got good genes, I guess."
When asked what he says to pickleballers trying to get him to convert, Scherer says: “I don’t want to get hurt. That’s my biggest response. The USTA put out a study that pickleball is conducive to a lot of injuries."
While Scherer has four freshmen in his top five singles spots, he’s adamant about setting more coaching milestones. His goal is 350 wins but he thinks it may have to wait until next season when he plans to return at 87.
“I’d like to make 350 but I’m on track to beat Don Shula (the Dolphins' coaching legend). He’s at 347. I look at great coaches in football because football and tennis play the same amount of games in a season."
Scherer’s tennis coaching philosophy is simple. It’s less about teaching the advanced technique of a Coco Gauff backhand grip and more about a mindset of consistency.
“I want them to learn to keep the ball in play," Scherer said. “That’s high school tennis. It might not be college or pro tennis. If you want to win in high school, you have to have people who can play long matches and keep the ball in play and not make mistakes. That’s the challenge now."
Junior Zahara Dodd is No. 1 singles with youngsters Lauren Kelly, Natalie Mills, Allie Slavens and Miranda Lubalm making up the rest of the lineup. The massive generational gap between coach and players has never been a factor.
“I don’t think the kids care as long as I’m on their side and I’m for them," said Scherer, who plays in leagues at the Harbor Ridge Country Club in Palm Springs. “I’m trying to make them better kids and better tennis players."
The Martin County girls program once reeled off 47 straight wins but hasn’t been to the FHSAA tournament in eight years. That’s his goal for this young group from Stuart, either this season or next to give them that riveting experience.
He moved to Martin County in 1984, transferring his glass glazing business. That part of his life is in the rearview mirror, pun intended, but not tennis. “I moved down here for better tennis for our kids and better weather, I guess," he said.
He’ll be back for Year 30 with Martin County High.
“As long as I’m having fun and in good health."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Martin County tennis coach Walter Scherer still chasing Don Shula
